Mount for machine guns



Oct. 18, 1932. R. c. COUPLAND 1,883,339

MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 16. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l mamlnl II: "mu

{NVENTOR R il chard E- Eugpla 1:1

1%RNEY Qct. 18, 1932. R. c. (OUPLAND 1,883,339

MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v l l 40 5:

: I i, 1 I as i I 7/ I I 86 ii i: I 36 34a I as 3 $3 1 9 INVENTOR.

A TORNEY Richard lfiuuplanfl Q kmw Oct. 18, 1932. R. c. COUPLAND 1,883,339

MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 16, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

Richard E .E ugpland BY $9M A TTORNEY Patented Oct. 18, 1932 RICHARD G. COUPLAND, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA MOUNT FOR LIACHINE GUNS Application filed July 16,

1930. Serial No. 468,361.

(GRANTED UNDER. THE ACT or Manon 3,1883, AS AMENDED APRIL so, 1928; 370 0. (4.757)

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is a mount for machine guns.

Machine gun mounts, primarily designed to support the gun for engagement of ground target, must be capable of affording a low mounting to provide covering protection for the gun crew and they must also possess sufficient stability to permit the accurate delivery of fire over the heads of friendly troops. The assignment of rapidly moving aerial targets to the machine gun defense provided by infantry troops renders it necessary to modify their mount so that it may support the gun for all-around transverse in an elevated position to facilitate direction and operation of the gun. However, any modification to meet the requirements imposed by this additional assignment mustbe subordinate to the essential characteristics demanded in an infantry mount.

While keeping within the weight limitations prescribed for the purpose of preserving mobility of the mount, the modification must permit a gun elevation of approximately 90 from a stable support and it must permit rapid movement into and out of position for anti-aircraft firing without the necessity of handling the hot gun and without disturbing the ammunition supply.

With the foregoing and other Objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: V

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved mount in position of adjustment for firing at ground targets;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of Fig. 1, parts being shown insection;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the mount in position of adjustment for antiaircraft firing;

Fig. 4c is a plan view of Fig. 1, parts being in section;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on of Fig. 1; p

Fig. 6 is a detail view in side elevation of the-bracket for carrying a box of ammunition;

Fig. 7 is a detail view in and elevation ofthe line 55 7 the bracket;

Fig.8 is a detail view, partly in sectionpof a IlOdlfiBd form of the truss arrangement; an

' Fig. 9' is a longitudinal sectional view of the adaptor.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference:

The conventional machine gun mount for low angle firing comprises a tripod 5 having aisocketed head 6 for receiving the pintle 7 of a standard 8. In the present instance the upper portion of the standard is a yoke formed of arcuate arms 9 Whose upper extremities are arranged for the reception of trunnoins 10 mounting a cradle 11 consisting of spaced plates 11a. A clamping device12 of conventional type is carried by the standard and arranged to engage the cradle to hold itin position of angular adjustment about the cradle trunnions which are positioned substantiallyin the plane containing the axis of the pintle.

The cradle plates 11a are identical and each includes a. forwardly extending arm 13, the free extremity of which is provided with a threaded aperture 14 for receiving a trunnion pin .15. An angled lever 16 mounted at its elbow on the trunnion pin 15 has its lower extremity connected to the standard through a link 17 pivotally attached to the lever and standard through respective pins 18 and 19.

The angled levers 16ca'rried by each cradle plate are connected by a web 20 to afford a rigid unit and on their free extremities is an adapter 21 (Fig. 9) supported through trunnion pins 22. The forward portion of the adapter consists of a semi-cylindrical pocket 23 for 'receiving the water jacket 24 of a ma- 1. In this adjustment the cradle can be ele- 34 and 35.

chine gun while the rear port-ion consists of a stirrup or hanger shaped to receive the forward end of the rectangular receiver 26 of the gun. The side walls 26a v of the hanger are apertured to permit insertion of a pin 27 passing transversely through the receiver of the gun and forming the forward attachment of the gun tothe adapter 21.

The attachment between the cradle and the standard elevating mechanism 28, which is detachably secured by means of the pin 29 to the bracket 30 on therear of the gun, is obtained through a retracting mechanism that carries the elevating mechanism. To thisend each of the trunnions 31 (Fig. 5) of the elevating mechanism are journaled in a slide 32 working in a longitudinally extending slot 33 in each of the cradle plates 11a and guided in an upper and lower guideway respectively is conveniently formed by the cradle plates while the outside half is formed by guide plates 34a and 35a fixed to'the cradle plates andcxtending over a sufficient length ofthe I 5 slot 33 to retain the slide throughout its movement.

A cylinder 36 is secured as by welding tothe outer face of each of the slides 32 and within the cylinder is a piston rod 37 (Fig. 4) whose head 38 seats a spring 39 embracing the rod and confined by the forward cylinder head 40. The outer end of the piston rod is anchored on a pin 41 fixed'to the cradle plate forwardly and below the cradle trun- .-'nions 10. The spring 39 therefore'acts'ito urgetheslide'forwardly and when the pin 29 is removed in order to disconnect the elevating mechanism from the gun, the slideis movable to'the' position shownin Fig. 3.

, A plate 9a connecting the arcuate arms 9 carries a cylinder 42'closed at the bottom by a plug 43 and open at its upper end. Within the cylinder isv a piston'consisting of a head 44 to which is' pivoted a rod 45. The outer end ofthe piston rod 45 isgformed into an eye 46 for receiving a pin 47 extending transversely of the cradle plates and journalled in apertured cars 48 thereon (Fig. 4). A spring 49 confined between the pistonhead and the plug 43 urges the piston and the attached cradle upwardly to cause the cradle to assume the posit-ion shown in Fig. 3.

In any position of adjustment of the cradle,

the gun is attached to the adapter 21 by the pin 27. If the gun is to be employedagainst ground, targets the elevating mechanism 28 is secured to the bracket 30 by means of the pin 29. To effect this rear connection it is necessary that the retracting mechanism be vated about the cradle trunnions 10 until the elevating mechanism is brought into interference with the tripod head 6. The cradle can be locked at any angular position within this The inside half of the guideway range of movement by acting on the clamping T connect the elevating mechanism from the gun and immediately the retracting mechanism draws the slide 32 forwardly to position the elevating. mechanism within the periphery of the cradle and directly inrear of-theconnecting plate 9a so that it will not interfere with elevation of the cradle.

" The clamping device 12 is then released to allow the spring 49 to automatically rotate the cradle to its position of maximum elevation where it is arrested by the lever 16 and f link 17 which cooperateto'establish a trussaffording a rigid support for thecradle.

By virtue of the particular arrangement and dispositionof the truss with respect to the cradle, the force of the thrust during firing isjtransmitted through the angled levers and applied to the forward extremity of the" arms 13 of the cradle as well as to the standa ir'd 8 through the intermediation of the 1 7 A further important action resultingifrom the arrangement and operation of the angled levers and linkage is the displacementof the adapter relative to the cradle whereby the adapter and with it the gun is moved forwardly and outwardly of the cradle so that int the position of vertical adjustment shown in Fig. 3 the tripod.

. As shown in gun Will not interfere with the Fig. 8 the truss arrangement is subject to modification to provide a resilient connection between the gun and tripod. This connection may be in the form of aspring 50 interposed between two members 170', and 17b constituting the link between the angled lever 16 and the standard 8. With certain types of guns and also under certain I conditions of emplacement of the tripod, it

is found that too rigid a support permits vibrations during firing and results in dispersion of the bullets.

The resilient'connection also permits sufficient range of adjustment in height to pro vide convenient accommodation for gunners of different height. The members 17a and 17b maybe locked together in any convenient. manner is by a pin 17 a to inoperate thespring when it is desired to establish a rigid support.

A bracket 56 for carrying an ammunition feed box is provided with a pair of. spaced ears51receiving a pin 52 on the gun: The bracket includes a. spaced plate 53resting against the outer side of the stirrup 25'an'd having an aperture 54 for receiving'the gun attaching pin 27 An additional spaced member 55 may be provided to rest on the side of the gun. Since the gun and adapter move in unison about the trunnions 27 of the adapter, theammunition box Will always be maintained in line with the feedwa-y of the gun.

I claim:

1. A gun mount embodying asupport, a cradle trunnioned on the support and having a forwardly extending arm, means for locking the cradle to the support, an angled lever trunnioned in the extremity of the arm, a link connecting the lower end of the angled lever to the support, said angled lever and link forming a truss in the highest position of ad justment of the cradle, a gun supporting member trunnioned on the upper end of the angled lever, means normally acting to elevate the cradle, a retractile unit carried by the cradle, and a gun connecting member on the free end of said retractile unit.

2. A gun mount embodying a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support and having a forwardly extending arm, means for locking the cradle to the support, an angled lever trunnioned in the extremity of the arm, a link connecting the lower end of the angled lever to the support, said angled lever and link forming a truss in the highest position of adjustment of the cradle, a gun supporting member trunnioned on the upper end of the angled lever, and means normally acting to elevate the cradle.

3. A gun mount embodying a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, means for locking the cradle to the support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the cradle, a link connecting the lower end of the lever to the support, said lever and link forming a truss in the position of maximum elevation of the cradle, a gun supporting member trunnioned on the upper end of the lever, means normally acting to elevate the cradle and a retractile gun connection at the rear end of the cradle. I

4. A gun mount embodying a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, means for locking the cradle to the support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the cradle, a link connecting the lower end of the lever to the support, said lever and link forming a truss in the position of maximum elevation of the cradle, a gun supporting member trunnioned on the upper end of the lever and means normally acting to elevate the cradle.

5. A gun mount embodying a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, means for locking the cradle to the support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the cradle, a link connecting the lower end of the lever to the support, said lever and link forming a truss in the position of maximum elevation of the cradle and a gun supporting member trunnioned on the upper end of the lever.

6. A gun mount embodying a support,

the support, said lever and link forming a truss in the position of maximum elevation of the cradle, and means for mounting a .gun on the upper end of the lever.

7 cradle trunnioned on the support, means for holding the cradle in position of elevation, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the cradle, a link connecting the lower end of the lever to the support,'and means for mounting a gun on the upper end of the lever.

8. A gun mount embodying a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, means for holding the cradle in position ofelevation, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the cradle, means for rotating the lever on movement of the cradle, and means for mounting a gun on the upper end of the lever.

9. In a gun mount, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a gun supporting member pivotally mounted on the cradle, means connecting the support and gun supporting member; operable on movement of the cradle about the trunnions for changing the position of the gun supporting member relative to the cradle, means for locking the cradle in place and means for automatically elevating the cradle when unlocked.

10. In a gun mount, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a gun supporting member pivotally mounted on the cradle and a selectively resilient or rigid connection between the gun supporting member and the support.

11. In a gun mount, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a gun, a gun supporting member pivotally mounted on the cradle, a connection between the gun supporting member and the support, and means for detachably connecting the rear of the gun to the cradle.

12. In a gun, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a gun, agun supporting linkage carried by the support and cradle and forming a rigid truss in one position of adjustment of the cradle, and means for connecting the rear of the gun to the cradle.

13. In a gun mount, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a rectractile unit carried by the cradle, and gun elevating mechanism trunnioned in the free end of said retractile unit.

. 14. In a gun mount, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a unit carried by the cradle, a gun connecting mechanism trunnioned in the iree end of said unit, and

. means for retracting said unit into the cradle when the gun connecting mechanism is free of the gun.

15. In a gun mount, a support, a cradle trunnioned on the support, a gun connection unit slidably carried by the cradle and means for retracting said unit into the cradle when 1 the gun connection unit is free of the gun.

16. In a gun mount, a cradle, a gun sup- A gun mount embodying a support, a

porting member carried by the cradle and having its relation thereto changed on elevation of the cradle and an ammunition box {)wlder carried by the gun supporting memer.

17. In a gun mount, a cradle, a gun supporting member carried by the cradle and having its relation thereto changed on elevation of the cradle, a gun, means for attaching the gun to the gun supporting member,

and an ammunition box holder carried. by

' said attaching means and by-an element of the gun.

' RICHARD C. COUPLAND. 

